Hibbett Sports has opened its 700th store in Bessemer, AL, and is planning extensive grand opening festivities for Saturday, August 23. CEO Mickey Newsome, who has overseen much of the chain’s growth in his 42 years at the company, said, “Opening our 700th store is such a great achievement for this company and we wanted to do something special to commemorate it. We have several exciting events planned for our customers.”


Festivities will include a ribbon cutting ceremony, a live radio remote, registration for free gifts and other giveaways.

 

“The company began here in the state of Alabama, and we think it’s fitting that we reach this milestone in our home state as well,” said Hibbett Sports president and COO Nissan Joseph.   “For the last four decades, Hibbett Sports under the leadership of chief executive officer, Mickey Newsome, has been providing sporting goods to customers in small to mid-size markets. This store is a testament to the commitment and hard-work of our employees”

Newsome attributes Hibbett Sports remarkable success in a difficult economy to the company’s strong work ethic.  “We have always tried to learn what our customers need from us and then work hard to exceed those expectations, from researching the markets we enter to tracking our sales and orders.  We continue to fine-tune our stores and our product selection to stay completely up to date with those customer needs,” Newsome said.


Hibbett Sports stocks a large selection of athletic shoes as well as other sports equipment and apparel, including a wide variety of baseball and softball equipment.  But Nissan Joseph believes Hibbett offers more than just a well-stocked store.  “With the buying power of a national company, we offer our customers the convenience of buying the best in sports right in their own neighborhoods,” said Joseph.  “And we extensively train our employees to ensure that they are providing superior service to our customers.”


The new store will employ approximately eight full and part-time team members.


In business since 1945, Hibbett Sports operates sporting goods stores in small to mid-sized markets, predominantly in the Sunbelt, Mid-Atlantic and the lower Midwest.  The Company’s primary store format is Hibbett Sports, a 5,000-square-foot store located in dominant strip centers and enclosed malls. Each store typically lies within 150 miles of another Hibbett Sports location.